


Sorting Ceremonies And Other Disasters

by thilia



Series: The Hogwarts Chronicles [3]
Category: Tokio Hotel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-05
Updated: 2011-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-28 23:52:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thilia/pseuds/thilia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill and Tom's first day at Hogwarts doesn't go as planned...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sorting Ceremonies And Other Disasters

**Author's Note:**

> Tokio Hotel/Harry Potter crossover, and Prequel to Brother, Lover, Whatever.

  


"Are you ready?"

"I think so."

"It'll be fine, Billi. Don't worry."

Tom took a deep breath, one hand on the trolley with their luggage, the other one holding his brother's. Bill was standing next to him, looking a little more wary at the prospect of running straight into a hard brick wall than Tom did. But there was no way around it. They had to run through the wall to get to Platform 9 ¾.

Technically, both of them knew it wouldn't hurt and that every single student who'd ever gone to Hogwarts had gone through this, but the sight of the very solid-looking wall made both twins swallow hard.

On Tom's other side stood Lippy, their house elf. Their parents hadn't had the time to take them to the train station, so the elf had accompanied them instead. Bill would've preferred it if their parents had come with them, and he knew Tom felt the same way. But it was okay. They were busy and didn't have time to say goodbye to them. It didn't matter to Bill. As long as Tom was with him, he was okay – even though he would've liked to hug his parents one last time before four months of separation.

Tom glanced at him again, then squeezed his hand and squared his jaw. "Let's do this."

Together, they began running towards the wall, pushing the trolley in front of them. Bill squeaked and closed his eyes, his heart leaping in his chest as they got closer and the trolley was about to connect with the hard wall.

But the collision never came.

Bill kept his eyes squeezed shut for a long moment, Tom's hand clutched in his own. When he heard Tom's soft laugh next to him, he blinked, his eyes widening at the sight of the huge red Hogwarts Express.

"Oh wow!" he exclaimed, giving Tom a grin and resisting the urge to jump up and down in excitement.

It was really happening. They were really going to Hogwarts.

Bill had been looking forward to this moment for as long as he could remember. With their parents rarely at home and the house elves fussing over them wherever they went, Bill had longed for this; to be In a place where it would be just him and Tom. Just the two of them, together.

And finally the time had come. He couldn't stop his face from lighting up, and squeezed his brother's hand in his own, his heart racing with excitement as Tom tugged him towards the train, through the crowd of people on Platform 9 ¾.

***

Twenty minutes later, they had found an empty compartment and spread out their things to make sure they wouldn't get any unwelcome visitors. Bill was aware that sooner or later, they would be expected to socialise and find other friends, but for now, it was just them. They wanted to spend the journey to Hogwarts alone.

They played cards and just looked out the window, watching the scenery, for an hour or two, and Bill's excitement about his upcoming time at school turned into dread. He didn't want to, but something that had been on his mind for a long time now came back to him, and he got increasingly anxious the closer they got to Hogwarts.

He bit his lip, and after a moment, voiced his worries. "What if we end up in Gryffindor? Or worse – Hufflepuff? Ravenclaw would be perfectly acceptable, but what if it's not Slytherin or Ravenclaw, Tomi?"

Tom laughed. "Bill, you could never end up in Hufflepuff. You're much too sneaky for that."

Bill gave him a grin, and knew his brother was right. Hufflepuffs were lame; and they were about the furthest thing from lame Bill could imagine. No, it would be Slytherin. He was sure of it. Or if not Slytherin, then Ravenclaw, which would also be acceptable.

Sometime later, the lady with the sweets trolley arrived, and Tom grinned. "Sweet! I'll buy us something. What do you want?"

Bill listed just about everything on the trolley, then glanced out of the window again while Tom was buying the sweets. Part of him still worried about the upcoming sorting ceremony but Tom's words and smile had calmed him down a little.

***

The rest of the train ride passed so fast that Bill barely remembered it later. When they arrived, they took the boats to the school, and Bill did remember being fascinated by the huge castle, lit up with hundreds of bright lights in the darkness of the night.

Inside the building, Professor McGonagall talked about the sorting ceremony and finally led them into the Great Hall.

Bill swallowed hard, his heart leaping into his throat as he made his way to the front of the hall with the other students. He looked at the Sorting Hat apprehensively, and couldn't stop himself from reaching for Tom's hand when Professor McGonagall called the first name.

His heart started beating faster the closer they got to "K". What if Tom was wrong and they _did_ end up in Hufflepuff? How would their parents react to that humiliation? What if they would be disappointed in them and would never want to see them again?

Bill was lost in his thoughts, and almost missed the moment when McGonagall finally called, "Kaulitz, Bill."

Almost.

Bill's heart skipped a beat and he took a deep breath as he schooled his features. Then he raised his head and walked to the chair, sitting down on it and blinking when the Hat was put on his head, sliding down and covering his eyes.

The Hat's voice was soft in his ear, and it only said a few words to him before it raised its voice and announced, "Slytherin!"

Bill could feel the tension draining out of him and a huge grin graced his features when the Hat was taken off his head. His eyes locked with Tom's and he resisted the urge to squeak. He was a Slytherin, just like he'd always hoped he would be. He felt relieved and knew that nothing could go wrong now.

He made his way to the Slytherin table, smiling shyly when the other students applauded. Then he sat down and turned back to face the front of the hall, just when McGonagall called Tom.

Tom's head disappeared inside the Hat, his dreads peeking out from underneath it. Bill grinned because he could practically see Tom scowling through the fabric of the Hat.

And then, the unspeakable happened.

"Gryffindor!"

Bill sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes were wide when they connected with Tom's over the heads of the other students. Tom's face was pale when the Hat was taken off his head, and he stared back at Bill, his eyes just as wide as Bill's. Then he gave a weak shrug and reluctantly made his way to the other side of the room, sitting down next to a couple of redheads at the Gryffindor table.

Not for even a second had Bill considered the possibility of ending up in a different house than Tom. They were twins; the same person. They couldn't be different enough to be put in different houses. It was impossible – the Hat was clearly broken. It had made some sort of mistake. Tom wasn't a Gryffindor – he was a Slytherin, just like Bill.

 _But he's braver than you,_ a voice in his head spoke up, and Bill ignored it, knowing it had to be a mistake. His eyes filled with tears and he tried to breathe evenly and not let this upset him. They could talk to the headmaster later. He would remedy this and make sure Tom would be put in Slytherin. This was clearly not right.

Bill tried to meet his brother's eyes over the heads of all the other students between them but gave up when he saw that Tom was talking to someone else. He smiled, and Bill felt as if someone had pushed a knife into his chest and twisted it around a few times.

He had never felt more alone in his entire life.

"You okay?" a soft, silky voice pulled him out of his reverie, and Bill looked up in surprise, coming face-to-face with a tall, black boy with a kind face. He blinked a couple of times, then rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" the boy asked, and gave him a little smile when Bill nodded. "I'm Blaise, by the way. Blaise Zabini."

Bill glanced back at Tom but realised that he was still busy getting to know his housemates. Maybe Bill should do the same.

"Bill," he murmured. "Bill Kaulitz."

***

That night in his bed, Bill curled up and tried not to cry. He really did. But after lying in the darkness for only a few seconds, the tears came, and Bill couldn't stop them; couldn't stop the emotions he'd experienced that day from washing over him. He sniffled and buried his face in the large, fluffy pillow, hugging it to his chest and wishing Tom was with him. He'd never spent even a night in a different room than Tom, let alone in an entirely different part of the building.

But Tom was a Gryffindor now, and he wasn't. Never before had he wanted to be in that particular house, but right now, he did.

After trying to get some sleep for about half an hour, Bill knew he couldn't do this. He couldn't spend a night away from Tom, let alone seven years. If they didn't let him see his brother, he would leave school, and he knew that Tom would go with him.

Bill was aware that they weren't allowed to leave their houses at night, let alone run around the castle on their own. But he needed Tom and he didn't care about the consequences. He slid his feet into his slippers and pulled on his robe as he silently left the dorm, then the common room, shivering as he made his way back to the Entrance Hall, his wand clutched in his hand.

He had no idea where the Gryffindor tower was, but he knew that he would find his way there. Somehow, he always found his way back to Tom. He made his way up a few flights of stairs, his heart pounding in his chest as a couple of ghosts floated by. They gave him the creeps. He just hoped he wouldn't run into the poltergeist Peeves Blaise had told him about. He really wasn't in the mood for that right now; he just wanted Tomi.

Sooner than he'd expected, he found a corridor that led him to a large portrait showing a really fat lady. He'd heard about it, and knew that this was the entrance to the Gryffindor tower. He bit his lip when he saw that the lady was asleep, then cleared his throat a couple of times, which had absolutely no effect.

Frowning, he tried again. "Hey!"

The woman jerked awake, and for a moment, Bill felt guilty. Then she looked down at him accusingly. "What on earth are you doing out of your bed at this time of night, young man?"

"I need to see my brother," he said, his tone urgent. "He's in there."

The Fat Lady raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Very well. Password?"

Bill stared at her blankly, then narrowed his eyes. "I don't know the password! Just let me in – I need to see Tom!" He paused, then added, "It's a matter of life and death!"

"My, my, how dramatic! I highly doubt that," she said patronisingly, and Bill resisted the urge to punch the stupid portrait in the stomach.

"We're twins!" he exclaimed. "I need to see him!"

When the Fat Lady just raised her head and closed her eyes again, ignoring him, Bill could feel tears of frustration prickling in his eyes again. It wasn't even that late! Many of the older students were probably still awake, and he didn't expect them to let him spend the night with Tom – but he just wanted to see his brother for a few minutes.

He blinked and stumbled backwards when the portrait was suddenly pushed aside, and a tall, redhaired boy with a prefect's badge stepped out of the common room. His eyes widened when he spotted him. "What the-"

"Can I come in? Please!" Bill said, not even caring that he, a Slytherin, was begging a Gryffindor for help.

"Of course you can't come in. You're in Slytherin, right? Come on, I'll take you back to your room."

Bill shook his head, taking a few more steps back. "No – I need to see my brother. Please. He's here, and I'm there, and it's all wrong, and I need to see him. Please, just for a few minutes. We're twins!"

The boy had been about to protest, but he closed his mouth at Bill's last words. Bill would find out later that the boy was Percy Weasley and that he had twin brothers as well, so he understood their need to be together. Even though Bill never really liked the boy, he was eternally grateful that Percy let him into the common room that night, despite strict regulations.

"Very well," Percy sighed, stepping aside. "Come and get me when you're ready to go back to your own room. You're not supposed to walk these halls on your own, especially at night. It's dangerous here, okay?"

But Bill's attention was focused on the entrance behind Percy, and a moment later, he climbed through the hole, looking around.

"Your brother's dorm is up there," Percy said, pointing to a staircase. "Second room on the left, bed by the window."

Bill nodded, then glanced up at the tall boy. "Thank you," he whispered, then ran past other students who looked at him curiously. He made his way to the room in question, then sneaked inside and made his way to the bed by the window. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if Percy had told him the truth – but Gryffindors were so bloody honourable that they probably didn't even know how to lie. Well, except Tom. Tom was a great liar.

He hesitated for another moment, then pulled the curtains open and peeked inside, his shoulders sagging with relief when he could make out his brothers dreadlocks on the pillow. He kicked off his slippers and robe, then crawled into the bed, wrapping his arms around Tom and clinging to him.

Tom had been about to fall asleep and blinked in confusion, but when he felt Bill, he gave him a smile. "Hey Billi," he whispered, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Their legs tangled, they lay there in silence for a few moments, both of them calming down when they were reunited.

"Are you okay?" Tom whispered after a moment, meeting Bill's eyes in the darkness.

Bill sniffled and shrugged. "I don't know. I couldn't sleep – and you didn't come looking for me." He tried not to sound like he was accusing Tom, even though part of him did want to know why Tom hadn't come looking for him.

"Oh Billi," Tom whispered. "I knew you were safe. I didn't think I'd get into your dorm. I'm sorry."

Bill shook his head, and rubbed his nose. "It's okay," he whispered, then bit his lip. "Can I stay here tonight?"

Tom nodded. "Of course. Let me just talk to Percy, all right?"

Bill nodded, but didn't let go of Tom. Even though he knew Tom would never leave him, part of him was worried and clingy, and he just couldn't let go. After a few long moments of silence, Bill looked at Tom. "Weirdo," he whispered, and Tom's brows shot up.

"What? Why am I a weirdo now?" he asked, his tone both confused and amused.

Bill raised a brow. "You got sorted into Gryffindor."

Tom let out a laugh and gave Bill a grin. "Yeah, good point," he whispered. "Can't help it. I guess I'm just too honourable for my own good."

He shrugged, and Bill gave him a little smile, brushing his fingertips over Tom's, and lacing their fingers. "Tell me it's going to be okay," Bill whispered then, looking at Tom anxiously. "You're not going to forget me, right? Or find someone you like more than me?"

Tom squeezed his hand and shook his head. "Of course not, Billi," he whispered. "You know that's not possible. I'll be here whenever you need me, and we're going to see each other every day, as much as possible. I promise; nothing's going to change."

Bill took a shaky breath and nodded, knowing that Tom was probably right, even though part of him wanted to be stubborn and childish and blame Tom for all of this, even though it was obviously not Tom's fault. It was the Hat's fault. And sooner or later, Bill would get his revenge on it.

"Have you made any friends yet?" Tom asked then.

"There's a nice boy called Blaise in my dorm," Bill whispered back, shrugging. "He's okay."

"Good," Tom whispered, then sat up.

Bill's eyes widened in panic and his arms wrapped around his brother's waist. "Don't go," he exclaimed, his voice louder and sharper than he'd expected.

Tom touched his cheek. "I'm just going to tell Percy you're staying here tonight. I'll be back in a minute."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Tom smiled and Bill reluctantly let go of him long enough for Tom to go into the common room and tell Percy. A minute later, he was back, snuggling back into Bill.

"You should get some sleep now," Tom whispered, his arms back around Bill, his chin resting atop Bill's head. "Classes tomorrow. Maybe we have some together."

The fact that they should've had _all_ of their classes together almost made Bill burst into tears again, but he managed to get his emotions under control, even too tired to be sad. "Yeah," he whispered, glancing up.

"Love you," he whispered, and snuggled back into him, and a moment later, he was out.

He did feel the soft press of Tom's lips against his forehead, though, and the soft, whispered, "I love you too," and smiled to himself as he let sleep wash over him.

Maybe this wasn't really the end of the world, and things would be okay.


End file.
